Rain to snow late Thursday across the Finger Lakes

Scattered rain showers Thursday morning will transition back to more widespread precipitation this afternoon.

Dreary Thursday Weather Forecast

It will be another dreary day in the Finger Lakes even though precipitation will not be falling the entire day.

Rain showers, which are scattered early Thursday morning, will continue to occasionally dot the radar throughout the morning and early afternoon.

At any given time, most of the Finger Lakes will likely be dry during this time. A few glimpses of sunshine may even be possible.

Winds will be breezy, with gusts of 30-35 mph. Those winds have already begun to bring in colder air aloft as low pressure spins north of Lake Ontario.

The influx of colder air will counteract any daytime heating, resulting in mostly steady temperatures in the mid 40s. A few places may reach the upper 40s before falling this afternoon.

Precipitation will become more widespread this afternoon as the low continues to pull away. Initially, this will mostly be rain, but as the sun sets and temperatures slide into the 30s, snow will start to mix in.

Most areas will not see any accumulation, but areas east of Cayuga Lake will see snow showers linger into the overnight thanks to some lake effect off of Lake Ontario.

These areas will likely wake up to a dusting of snow Friday morning, but some of the higher elevations could even see an inch or two of accumulation.

Next Storm System Eyes the Weekend

Any lingering snow showers should quickly dissipate Friday morning as dry air moves in aloft.

Periods of sunshine will alternate with some mid and high level cloudiness throughout Friday. The winds will slacken and highs will reach around 40 degrees.

Clouds will increase Friday night. After an evening low in the low 30s, temperatures will creep upwards to the mid and upper 30s by Saturday morning.

Widespread rain will move back in Saturday morning and should persist for much of the day. Winds will begin to increase again as well with gusts going back over 30 mph.

Temperatures will hold in the low 40s during the daytime hours Saturday before rising to near 50 degrees overnight. The warmth will be gone by dawn Sunday though when temperatures will fall back to the 30s.

Rain showers will continue Saturday night into early Sunday as winds become stronger. A spray of lake effect rain and snow showers is likely on Sunday as winds peak with gusts possibly going over 50 mph, especially over higher elevations.

Temperatures Sunday will hold in the mid and upper 30s, reducing the chances for any snow accumulation. Lake effect snow will organize further on Sunday night as the winds lessen and temperatures fall, but this may mostly set up outside of the Finger Lakes region.

Quiet weather will settle in for the first half of next week before some light precipitation and lake effect towards Thanksgiving. No significant storm systems are expected.

Meteorologist Drew Montreuil has been forecasting the weather in the Finger Lakes region since 2006 and has degrees in meteorology from SUNY Oswego (B.S. with Honors) and Cornell (M.S.).
When not forecasting, he can be found working at the local library, making goat milk soap, running until his legs burn, or playing with his three young boys.